Jos Diegel

<body> <img src="images/JosDiegel-Flyer1.jpg" width="800" height="640" border="0" alt="Jos Diegel - flyer" title="Jos Diegel - flyer"><br clear="all"> <h4> directors lounge monthly screenings </h4> <h3>jos diegel<br> your boundaries will be replaced</h3> <p>Thursday, 25 April 2019<br> 21:00<br> Z-Bar<br> Bergstraße 2<br> 10115 Berlin-Mitte</p> <p>The artist and filmmaker, who lives and works in Berlin, Leipzig, Offenbach and Frankfurt, positions himself in a singular way in contemporary cinema with his short film and video essays. This is surprising as he picks up a long tradition in German and European film: there was a time, when cinema, and art at large, was part of a political discourse in society. When an intellectual discourse about political theory was expanded inside and with cinema. The late Harun Farocki was possibly the most important visual artist who continued on this track of interference with political discourses.</p> <p>In our time, of course, the use of political theory in art is only possible with a good portion of irony. Bert Brecht's epical theatre, and the films and art practice of Isodore Isou and Guy Debord are inspirations for Jos Diegel for films, installations and public interventions. What is different, is the way he uses the techniques of refraction and alienation to an end, that not only destroys again and again the illusion of narrative continuity, but also the political believe in the manifestos that he seems to include in his discourse. On the other hand, the frequent use of quotes from political theory, as much as they are altered, shows a deep interest in what was once was called "critical theory". The collage-like deeply ironic deconstruction also by the way of declamation by young people in casual everyday situations seems to put those ideas under scrutiny, instead of destroying them. </p> <p>On the other hand, Diegel uses film, mostly 35mm and found footage in workshops, which become truly collaborate projects. It is a process of recombining and creating new meaning, which Diegel is not so much teaching but practicing in joint art projects. The films are being presented as collaborations in exhibitions and screenings together with the artists own work. They are all called "experimental film".</p> <p>The newest film of Diegel that will be presented, "Der Herbst des Untergrunds" (The Fall of the Underground) combines many different aspects of Diegels film with short films in one 30 minutes short. The main subject of the film is gentrification in the area of Frankfurt/ Offenbach and the involvement of artists and their activities in that process. Artists are looking for opportunities to show and work, otherwise they are part of an economical restructuring process. Political and private statements are mixed with images of Diegel's experimental film workshops. Jos uses documentary, fiction and experiments with found footage in a way that those layers overlap and interfere. He opens glances on the art scene and the discussion of urban planing, without giving a false "in-sight". The viewer still needs to put together the pieces and construct the narrative himself, and add his own conclusions.</p> <p>In the screening Jos Diegel will present a number of his film essays, experimental collaborative projects and "films with actors". It will be a highly inspiring evening on many levels, visually and thought provoking. Curated by Klaus W. Eisenlohr.</p> <p><b>Playlist:</b><br> Dieser Film lief früher in einem anderen Land 2017 35mm/DV DE 2:38 mins<br> Bigger Canvas Longer Necks 2008 DE 16mm/35mm/DV 8:38 mins<br> Alles was man für eine Hotel Episode braucht 2009 digital video DE 6:37 mins<br> Buntfink - Chaos im Weltall 2019 DE workshop production 35mm/DV 4:59 min<br> Dauernd musst Du etwas machen 2015 DE digital video 20:23 min<br> Unendlicher Spannteppich poem by Ann Cotten 2018 DE 35mm/DV 00:45 min<br> Der Herbst des Untergrunds 2018 DE 16mm/35mm/DV 32:26 min</p> <p><b>Artist Link:</b><br> <a href="http://www.josdiegel.de/" target="_blank" title="Jos Diegel - homepage">http://www.josdiegel.de/</a></p> <b>Links:</b><br> Z-Bar - <a href="http://www.z-bar.de/" target="_blank" title="Z-Bar">http://www.z-bar.de/</a><br> Directors Lounge - <a href="http://directorsloungeblog.tumblr.com" target="_blank" title="Directors Lounge Magazin">http://directorslounge.net</a><br> </p> </body>